September 2021 proved to be one of the best months for music this year; great projects were released every week, including some of the most interesting records of the year. Some of my favorite music from the month includes the ethereal indie folk of Sufjan Stevens and Angelo De Augustine’s A Beginner’s Mind and Injury Reserve’s avant-garde glitch hop on By The Time I Get to Phoenix; however, no projects this month could measure up to the lush UK hip-hop of Little Simz’s Sometimes I Might Be Introvert.
Simbiatu Abisola Abiola Ajikawo, known by her stage name, Little Simz, is a British rapper who released her debut album in 2015. While she consistently put out music, she didn’t receive much recognition until her 2019 project, GREY Area. GREY Area topped the UK Hip Hop and R&B Albums Chart upon release and was even nominated for the Mercury Prize – the most prestigious prize in UK music. With Sometimes I Might Be Introvert, Little Simz solidifies her place as one of the most forward-thinking and ambitious artists in the industry right now.
The sonic landscapes and production on Sometimes I Might Be Introvert are massive and orchestral. The first track, “Introvert”, opens with a marching band-esque snare line followed by booming horns and a dramatically ominous chorus before launching into a moodily introspective beat driven by an acoustic guitar lick, live drums, and an array of symphonic flourishes. The entire song is reminiscent of classical marches, with its near-martial 4/4 time signature and dense arrangement. It’s an amazing start to the album, and Little Simz luckily doesn’t let up on the beautiful production throughout the album.
Another instrumental highlight comes in the form of “Two Worlds Apart”, which features a flipped Smokey Robinson sample that sounds like a more subtle and polished version of what Kanye West was doing on The College Dropout. The interplay between the sample and a relaxed guitar loop create a laid-back atmosphere for Little Simz to utilize a myriad of flows across the track’s runtime. The bridge, in particular, is an extraordinary moment of melding between the old sample and the new elements of the production; it’s representative of the album as a whole, which combines old traditions from 90’s boom-bap with newer elements of hip-hop, like trap beats and ambitious concepts.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t also mention the extraordinary production on the album’s interludes. Sometimes I Might Be Introvert features the best use of interludes I have ever seen on an album, with the only exception being Frank Ocean’s channel ORANGE. Today, interludes are generally used as a way for artists to boost stream numbers and serve no real purpose to the album’s narrative. On Sometimes I Might Introvert, however, every interlude is gorgeous and serves a narrative purpose. In particular, “Gems”, with its sparkling plucked strings, and “The Garden”, featuring a haunting choral passage in its second half, are beautiful representations of what Little Simz’s interludes offer on this album.
The thematic and lyrical content on Sometimes I Might Introvert is no less impressive than its production. While the album touches on many themes, it primarily focuses on the borderland between Little Simz, the artist, and Simbiatu Ajikawo, the person. The conflict is outlined most clearly on “Introvert”: “I sabotage what we are trying to build/’Cause of feelings I keep inside, but it’s time to reveal/I hate the thought of just being a burden/I hate that these conversations are surfaced/Simz the artist or Simbi the person?”. This conflict is ingrained across the album, and is even represented in the project’s paratext. Sometimes I Might Be Introvert isn’t simply an odd grammatical choice, but is an acronym for “Simbi”, Ajikawo’s nickname; the juxtaposition of her art and personal life remain in the forefront of every moment of the album.
Over the course of the album, Little Simz also speaks on her family, upbringing, UK politics, institutional racism, and feminism, while even making room for braggadocious bangers like “Rollin Stone”. Sometimes I Might Be Introvert’s thematic scope is breathtaking, yet it never feels unfocused or confusing; Little Simz’s strong charisma and talent keep the project on track, even during its most eclectic moments.
Sometimes I Might Be Introvert is an extraordinary demonstration of technical skill, introspective writing, and incredible ambition from Little Simz. It’s undoubtedly one of the best hip-hop records of the year, and places Little Simz at the forefront of the conscious hip-hop scene; a very impressive feat, considering this is only her fourth full-length album. There are few records that are able to have a runtime over an hour and not have any “filler” tracks, yet Little Simz was able to create one such record. Hopefully, Little Simz will continue to put out more outstanding music in the future; if it’s anywhere near as good as Sometimes I Might Be Introvert, it will always be worth listening to.
The Verdict: For its warm production, uplifting tone, and epic scope, Sometimes I Might Be Introvert is September 2021’s Album of the Month.
Listen:
Sources: